Making Visible and Accessible the God of Mercy and Compassion in our time

Epiphany, means to make manifest. We celebrate the manifestation of God to the world in the person of a baby to the Three who followed the star.

In this baby God is revealed.

As we prepare to celebrate the Epiphany let us reflect on this particular manifestation, see the journey of the Three Wise Ones as similar to our own journey.

Each of us and all of us together are on the journey which will lead us into the new configuration of our congregation. The Magi are a mix, just like us, seeking new understanding. They followed the star and called on by God, moving within them, arrived at a new place, their destination.

Our journey is leading us to look at new ways to make Mercy visible and accessible. In a world where exclusion is more prevalent than inclusion, fragmentation more prevalent than wholeness, our call to Oneness is one such way; our call to believe that each action, each prayer, each smile can be merciful is one such way to make Mercy visible and accessible. As the Magi brought gifts to the Christ child, we too offer our gifts of enthusiasm, faith and hope.

On their journey they experienced bumps on the road, so will we. We will meet with people like Herod who will want to dissuade us. We will meet people who have themselves lost heart, we will meet people who believe that what they did in the past, was what is important. Follow the star, the light of Christ and all will be well.

The Epiphany is about seeing things in a different light, seeing into the heart of things. We all remember the past-how it was when we entered………NOW each of us and all of us together are asked to look to the present and the future….. what is being revealed to us and what are we called to reveal through our personal and communal lives.

Let us follow the Spirit who is guiding us and we too will arrive safely and clearly manifest the God of Mercy and Compassion.

Brat Bhríde Theological Reflection Group